Heavy duty shears of the type powered by hydraulic cylinders have proven extremely useful in handling metal scrap of various sorts. Such scrap may be in the form of pipe made of steel, soft iron or cast iron; structural beams such I-beams, channels and fabricated reinforced concrete girder beams, rods and heavy cables having diameters up to three inches; and larger metal sheets and plates and pieces that are cast, roll-stamped or otherwise formed. Typically, heavy duty shears such as those illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,519,135; 4,616,417; and 4,776,093 can be fitted on the dipper stick of a back hoe so that they may be controlled fairly well in handling the above-mentioned types of scrap. However, such shears generally cannot also be fitted to the boom of a front end loader, which would be especially useful in the context of demolition of railroad cars. Such shears typically are attached to the boom of a back hoe via a series of hydraulic cylinders, one of which is attached to the distal end of the shear. However, such attachment is not possible in the context of the boom of a front end loader, where the hydraulic cylinders are positioned beneath the boom.